One of the most frequently asked questions about electric cars is, how far can an electric car go on one charge? It’s a great question, and it seems to vary depending on how you phrase it. In general, you can expect an electric car to travel 100-150 miles on a single charge in warm weather and 70-100 miles in cold weather (when the car’s heater is running). These estimates are based on highway driving at 65-70 miles per hour, but your mileage may vary if you drive faster or slower than that average speed or use city streets more often than highways.
Electric cars are becoming more and more popular, with new models of electric vehicles (EVs) appearing on the market each year. There are many reasons why people choose to drive an EV over conventional vehicles, not least because they are becoming increasingly affordable, but also because they offer the convenience of being able to charge up at home and run errands around town with less hassle than their petrol-powered counterparts, who have to stop every few hours at a petrol station to refuel. But how far can an electric car go on one charge? You might be surprised!
The most common myths about electric cars
Here are some of the most common myths about electric cars:
- All electric cars have limited range – FALSE, the Chevy Bolt has a range of 238 miles. It is possible to go days without ever needing to recharge your car.
- The more energy you use, the less range you get – FALSE, all electricity is rated in kilowatt-hours (kWh). As long as you pay attention to how much power you are using every day, there will be no change in your driving range.
- Charging takes too long – FALSE; it takes only 30 minutes for a Bolt driver to get a full charge that can last them all day. By contrast, it would take six hours to fully charge a Tesla S with a 110v outlet and 45 hours with a 220v outlet. To conclude, even though these cars cost more upfront, they offer great savings over time. If one considers fuel costs and the value of time spent refueling or waiting for charging instead of doing other things like spending time with family or working on work projects, then these cars are much cheaper over time.
What does it take to fully charge a car battery?
If you’re used to thinking of a car battery as something that just needs to be recharged after use, you might be surprised to learn that it actually takes quite a bit of energy and hours of charging time to fully charge the battery in your electric car. When you leave the parking lot and drive out onto the open road, your car uses most of its stored electricity before your battery even reaches a quarter full. This is because there are two things responsible for electricity consumption: how much is stored in the battery and how fast it is being used. If all else were equal, if your storage capacity was twice as large as another car’s storage capacity and if your vehicle used power at twice the rate, then you would reach a full charge at half the time. However, when comparing electric cars with traditional gas-powered cars, more often than not more efficient means less range. That is because an engine has to work harder to generate movement with electricity instead of gasoline. Furthermore, many electric cars have smaller batteries than their gas-powered counterparts; this means that the car will go farther on one tank of gas than it will on one charge from its battery.
When do you need to recharge your EV?
The day-to-day of electric vehicle driving is different than most drivers are used to. While it’s easy to just hit the gas at a red light and go when you feel like it, a typical EV will require charging every 8-15 days or so. For example, the 2018 Nissan LEAF has a range of 238 miles per charge and an average speed of 87mph; that translates to about 200 miles between charges with highway driving. Of course, your mileage may vary based on driving habits (speeding, air conditioning usage) and other factors (how fast you’re going), but that gives you a general idea of how far you can get in one day. So what if your daily commute is more than 20 miles roundtrip? If your workplace offers charging stations for their employees, then great! All you need to do is plug in during lunch or breaks. But what if they don’t have chargers available?
The most important things to know about EV charging stations
Since there are a wide variety of models, styles, and price points of electric cars in the market today, it is essential to get educated about the various types of charging stations available before you make your purchase. For example, Level 1 chargers require an outlet while Level 2 chargers plug into a standard household electrical outlet. There are also fast-charging stations that deliver high power in less time–usually 50% faster than level 2 charging. Fast-charging stations can be found at airports, hotels, shopping malls, grocery stores and more.
Nowadays electric car drivers have many options when it comes to finding charging stations; they can simply use their smartphones to find locations near them or they can check with their local utilities company for home installation options.
Conclusion
Many people might think that the Tesla S can only go 230 miles on a charge, but actually it can go 288 miles before you need to stop for more power. As batteries in electric cars continue to get better, range anxiety will become less of a concern. There are plenty of other car models for you to choose from, too; many have ranges of up to 300 miles on one charge. The Chevy Bolt has 238 miles and the Hyundai Ionis EV has 239. These options make it easier to plan your route without worrying about charging every 30 minutes or so. Charging at home is still best because overnight charges can add up to 100 miles per hour of charging time, which would take about 10 hours if you were driving nonstop. That’s perfect for those who just want to drive around town during the day. Most people with average commute times (say, 25-30 miles) won’t ever run out of battery power with this type of strategy. Just remember: there are chargers everywhere these days, from parking lots to restaurants to gas stations, so no matter where you go in your travels you should be able to plug in when needed.
